MTN Zambia plans to lay 6, 000 kilometres of fibre to expand its network to ensure connectivity to all borders and position the operator as a regional fibre hub.

MTN Zambia CEO Charles Molapisi said the company has, to date, secured its Lusaka to Nakonde and Kapiri to Kalumbila underground fibre links, part of the company's plan to connect every international border with Zambia to the MTN network.

The fibre network will also ensure that the company links Zambia's North-Western province to international routes.

Speaking at a customer engagement event in Lusaka yesterday, Molapisi said the growth in Africa's technology space is rapidly changing the continent's macro-economic landscape as most African businesses are now embracing wide-ranging communications solutions for voice, data and video, thereby increasing internet access and making IT a crucial part of their growth strategy.

MTN Zambia is currently connected to international cables-EASSY cable, SEACOM and the West African Cable System through three different international border points; Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

Molapisi said the three separate border routes ensure full redundancy on their internet access.

Zambia share borders with several countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Botswana, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.

"Infrastructure is the foundation from which we will propel our innovative, reliable and scalable solutions. MTN Zambia has embarked on infrastructure development on a scale never seen before," Molapisi said.